A Warren police officer testified Thursday he viewed Facebook comments and photos posted by two men as threats against his department.

Officer Nicholas Lienemann testified Thursday in the cases against Brandon M. Davis, 20, and Richard W. Walker, 18, both of Warren, for comments and photographs they posted on their Facebook pages.

Lienemann, working the front desk, said he talked over the police station's telephone Jan. 15 with an anonymous female tipster who then emailed him at least 16 copied images of Facebook pages that included posts by Davis and Walker about harming or killing police officers. The tipster called the images and comments "disturbing" and said she feared the two men, according to Lienemann.

Lienemann provided his interpretation of the information.

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"It drew my interest and it gave me great concern because of what we deal with on a daily basis," he said. "For someone to make a statement about people coming to Warren to kill cops, yeah, I do take that as a threat. They are statements associated with an actual user on Facebook."

Lienemann was the first of four police officers to take the stand Thursday for Walker and Davis' preliminary examination in 37th District Court in Warren in front of Judge Matthew Sabaugh. The probable cause hearing is set to continue April 2 with three more witnesses and a likely ruling by Sabaugh on whether the case should progress to Macomb County Circuit Court in Mount Clemens.

Davis and Walker are charged with false report or threat of terrorism, and using a computer to commit a crime, both punishable by up to 20 years in prison; possession of a short-barrel shotgun, a 5-year felony; and resisting and obstructing police, a 2-year offense. The charges were heightened following their initial arrest and investigation.

Walker was arrested Jan. 18 while wearing a ski mask and driving a BMX bicycle on Hupp Street near his Ford Avenue home, and Davis was arrested simultaneously hiding in the Ford home attic. Police seized shotguns, rifles, a handgun, a crossbow, a mini-cannon, pepper spray, ammunition and fireworks from the home.

Lienemann during his testimony read several comments by Walker and Davis from copies of their postings as well as photographs of them holding what appeared to him to be assault rifles.

One of the posts mentioned Warren police.

"I wish more people from Detroit would move to Warren to kill these police," the post said, according to Lienemann.

After the hearing, the defense attorneys contended that the comments and photos in a whole did not constitute threats against a specific target.

"They're generic," said Walker's attorney, Brian Selburn. "I'm not sure they're even threats. The comments made about the police were general."

"Even if they're considered threats, our position is they're veiled," said Davis' attorney, Warren McAlpine.

Lienemann read other comments.

"Take a man's car and turn it into a cop killer," Davis said, according to Lienemann.

He said among Walker's comments, "Wish people would kill more cops. We need to have more cops getting killed. We need true soldiers," which was "tagged" to Davis.

Davis from youtube.com posted "a very disturbing video of an office being killed in the line of duty, very graphic," Lienemann said.

Describing a photo of Davis, who had "cop killer" inked in pen on his bicep, Lienemann said, "It looks to be someone holding a possible assault weapon making gang signs."

Selburn interrupted Lienemann's testimony many times with objections, arguing the postings Lienemann was testifying about can't be verified. The defense attorneys noted the ease at which someone can impersonate a person on Facebook or "hack" into a person's account by merely knowing the person's password and email.

"We don't know who created these," Selburn said. "Just because he got them in an email doesn't mean they're authentic."

But Judge Sabaugh accepted Lienemann's testimony after Miller implied during argument they can be verified by a later witness. An officer with the Macomb Area Computer Enforcement team is expected to testify.

Police said the men also made incriminating statements.

Defense attorneys contended police could not tell if the supposed firearms were real.

"They appeared to be" assault weapons, said Lienemann, who indicated experience with them as a Marine.